Ex-IAS officer Divya Mittal launches Jan-niti Bharat Party, to contest 2027 UP polls

In a video message posted on social media, including X, Mittal outlined three key promises of her proposed party.

Former IAS officer Divya Mittal, who resigned from the Indian Administrative Service after a 13-year career, on Thursday announced the formation of her political party, Jan-niti Bharat Party, and said it would contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

2013-batch IAS officer Divya Mittal. (HT_PRINT)

In a video message posted on social media, including X, Mittal outlined three key promises of her proposed party, focusing on people-centric policymaking, decisions based on need rather than identity, and public accountability.

“I will make my own political party... Jan-niti Bharat Party. The party will contest the 2027 UP Assembly polls,” she said.

Explaining the party's first promise, Mittal said people would be at the centre of policymaking and would have a say in shaping policies. Its motto, she said, would be “Jan se niti, Niti se Bharat” (Policy by the people, policies that build Bharat).

The second promise, she said, would be to ensure that decisions were based on need rather than identity. The motto for this principle is “Zarurat se faisla, faisle mein barabari” (Decisions based on need, equality in decision-making).

Her third promise focuses on accountability to the public. “Har kaam ka hisaab janata legi” (The public will hold every action to account), she said, outlining the motto as “Janata ko hisaab; Hisaab se sudhaar” (Accountability to the people; reform through accountability).

Divya Mittal's political plans

In a video message last month, the 2013-batch Uttar Pradesh-cadre officer had said she wanted to enter politics to work directly with people and address their concerns.

“I will do politics, but not with any political party. I will do politics with people,” Mittal had said.

Describing Uttar Pradesh as her “karmabhoomi”, she said she would begin her political journey in the state and “fearlessly struggle” to address people's problems while taking them along.

Mittal has also shared a phone number and WhatsApp contact details, urging people who identify with her message to reach out and join her initiative.

The announcement comes nearly two months after Mittal announced her resignation from the IAS on August 30. The Uttar Pradesh government accepted her resignation on September 15, bringing her 13-year career in the civil services to an end.

Who is Divya Mittal?

Originally from Rewari in Haryana, Mittal studied at IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore. After completing her MBA, she worked in London before returning to India to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.

She cleared the examination in her second attempt in 2013, securing the 68th rank, and joined the IAS. She served as district magistrate in Sant Kabir Nagar, Mirzapur and Deoria before holding senior positions in the Uttar Pradesh government, including Special Secretary in the Revenue Department.

Mittal gained wider public recognition during her tenure as Mirzapur district magistrate, when her administration helped provide piped drinking water to Lahuria Dah, a remote village where residents had relied on tankers for decades.

In her resignation message, she reflected on her experiences working with farmers, families seeking land rights and people with disabilities. She wrote that her administrative career had taught her that “behind every government file is a person”.

Politics after 13 years in the IAS

Mittal's political plans had been the subject of speculation since she resigned from the IAS. At the time, she did not disclose her next move, saying she would speak when the time was right. Subsequent reports discussed the possibility of her entering politics, particularly in areas where she had served as district magistrate.

Her latest announcement clarifies her intention to launch a political party rather than join an established political outfit. She has said she wants to work directly with people and begin her political journey in Uttar Pradesh.

With the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections approaching, her announcement marks her formal entry into the state's political landscape. She has said the party will contest the polls, though she has not yet disclosed which constituency she might contest from.